Written by Thomas Escritt | From Independent Online

Kenya’s most senior government lawyer rejected claims on Thursday it was obstructing the International Criminal Court’s investigation into crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Prosecutors say Kenya’s government has hindered access to bank and telephone records which they consider essential to secure a conviction on charges that Kenyatta orchestrated violence that swept Kenya after elections in 2007.

The case is a test of the authority and credibility of the court, which has seen several cases collapse and secured just one conviction in 11 years.

It has also driven a wedge between the court’s Western backers and African allies of Kenya, many of which launched a diplomatic push to have Kenyatta’s trial scrapped or deferred following his election as president last year.

Kenyatta, who is head both of state and government, denies the charges.

Speaking at a meeting to decide whether Kenya is in breach of its obligation to cooperate with the court, Kenya’s attorney-general Githu Muigai said prosecutors’ requests for access to Kenyatta’s bank records had not been correctly filed. That left Kenya with no choice but to refuse.

“Prosecutors cannot parade in the garments of the court, invoking powers they do not have,” Muigai told the court.

Read more at Independent Online